Southwest Austin is home to so many environmental treasurers! From Barton Springs, Town Lake, and Zilker Park in the north - on down to the Greenbelt, the Edwards Aquifer Recharge Zone, the watersheds of Williamson, Slaughter, and Bear Creeks, the Barton Creek Wilderness Preserve, and the Wildflower Center.

 

Like many residents in District 8, the environment is one of my top priorities. Prior to serving in elected office, I worked professionally for an environmental consulting firm ensuring compliance in transportation and housing projects, navigating compliance with the Endangered Species Act, the Clean Water Act, and the National Environmental Policy Act. 

 

Here’s how I’m delivering for Southwest Austin:

 

• Saving Dog’s Lives! Approved funding to eliminate blue algae from Town Lake.

 

• Trails and Bike Lanes - sponsored a voter-approved $460 Million bond to build urban trails and bike lanes compliant for all ages and abilities, and eased permitting for Urban Trails.

 

• Parks and Recreation - secured additional staff positions in the budget every year, expanding the number of Park Rangers, grounds crews, and maintenance crews.

 

• Donated $100,000 of my office budget for improvements to Dick Nichols Park, including swimming pool repairs, upgraded multi-use courts, pickleball courts, and fixed and expanded the dolphin/seal splash pad in time for summer! 

 

• Clean Drinking Water - when the city is able to, it buys vacant land in remote areas to keep it clean from concrete, oil, runoff, and contaminants that may filter into the water supply. And in the past four years, we’ve bought a lot of Water Quality Protection Land.

 

• The Y at Oak Hill - fought to ensure that environmental compliance inspectors for the Oak Hill Parkway had stop-work authority, which is not common practice in TxDOT contracts.

 

• Established the Clean Creeks Crew - this is a partnership between Watershed Protection Department, Austin Resource Recovery, and The Other Ones Foundation to connect individuals experiencing homelessness with job opportunities cleaning our creeks.

 

• Scooter Fines - increased fines for scooters being thrown into creeks.

 

• Lifeguards - as a former lifeguard, advocated for hiring incentives and bonuses in order to staff city pools in time for summer.

 

• Sponsored the multi-family composting initiative - currently in its testing phase, the effort will ensure that all Austinites can reduce food waste.

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